Man gets 6 years in prison for abandoning pit bulls

HEADLAND, Ala. (AP) — A pit bull owner in Alabama has been sentenced to six years in prison for animal cruelty.

The Dothan Eagle (http://bit.ly/2e8NRbx) reports that Henry County sheriff’s investigators discovered five emaciated pit bulls and the half-eaten body of a sixth at a home where 26-year-old Quenton Eugene Mathis lived. His wife, Ashley Nicole Mathis, faces similar charges. Authorities found the animals when they came to take custody of their 4-year-old son and found nobody home.

A half-eaten pit bull was found near one dog. Four others spent weeks without food or water.

Defense attorney Cada Carter said Mathis pleaded guilty Thursday and was taken into custody following the hearing because he tested positive for marijuana in court. Carter said they’ve asked for probation; the judge will rule next month.